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WhatYouCanDoinYourSeniorYeartoGuaranteeJobInterviews

QuentinJ.SchultzeColoradoChristianUniversity,September24,2019

Dr.Schultzesharesproven,practicalwaysofgettingreadytolandjobinterviewsbasedonhisdecadesofworkingwithChristianuniversitystudents.Theattachedpagesarefromhisbook,HowtoWritePowerfulCollegeStudentResumes&CoverLetters.I.ThreeImportantPreliminariesA.OurcareerisnotourCalling.OurcallingistofaithfullyfollowJesusintoourmany“stations.”

• Vocation—ourprimary,lifelongcallingtofollowourcaller,JesusChrist

• Stations—themany,changing,“sub-callings”thatwehaveinlife,fromrelationships(father,daughter,sibling,friend)topaidjobs(occupationalstations),volunteerwork,churchinvolvements,titles/positions(chairofacommitteeorajobtitle),neighborlysituations(someoneinneed),andbeyond.Godworksthroughallofourstations,givingusopportunities,challenges,andsuccessesthatequipustoserveHimandothersmorefullyacrossourchangingstations.

B.Mostpeoplechangecareersmorethanonce,andmostuniversitygraduatesendupinoccupationalstationsdifferentfromtheiracademicmajors.C.Godusesourstation-relatedlifeexperiencestohelpusidentify,consider,anddevelopour“wholeselves,”notjustourpaidwork.ThethreemostessentialcategoriesoflifeexperienceareSkills(whatwecando),Knowledge(whatweknow),andTraits(thekindsofpersonsweare,includinghowweconductourselves,oftenexpressedasadjectives,pp.162–163)—ourownSKiT.

II.DetermineWhatGodisDoinginOur“WholeLives”A.CreateaMasterlistoflifeexperiences(pp.58–59).B.DeveloptheSKiTsineachMasterlistentry/episode(pp.60–61):

• Thecaseofarestaurantserver(p.66)

• Thecaseofaretailerworker(p.83)

• Thecasesofinternshipsandvolunteerexperiences(p.87)

• Thecaseofformaleducation(pp.88–91)

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• Thecasesofcross-culturalandtechnologyexperiences(pp.96–97)

• Usethelistof“actionverbs”(pp.167–169)tohelpfleshoutyourMasterlist.III.Determinethe“SKiTs”RequiredforaCareerStation(p.21)A.Useatleasttwosearchenginestolookuprecentjobdescriptionsandjobrequirementsforacareerofinterest.B.DevelopaSKiTlistfortheoccupationalstation/positionbasedonthefindings.IV.CompareandContrastYourOwnSKiTswithThoseRequiredA.IftheSKiTsaresimilar,adjustthelanguageinyourMasterlistanalysistousethelanguageinthejobdescriptions/requirements,rememberingtobehonest.B.IftheSKiTsaredifferent,considerwhatkindsoflifeexperiencesyoucangainbetweennowandgraduationtoaddressthegap—viainternships,courses,projects,travel,personalstudy,non-creditcourses/workshops(especiallywithprofessionalassociation,asastudentmember),volunteering,andthelike.V.SetUpGoogleAlertstoTrackNewJobPostingsandDescriptions1.WatchforarticlesaboutnewSKiTsrelatedtoyourcareerstation.2.Continuetolookforopportunitiestoexpandlifeexperiencestomeetthenewexpectations,suchaslocalMeetUpgroups,professionalassociations(studentmemberships),andvolunteeractivities.3.IncludeAlertsrelatedto“fastest-growingcompanies”forgeographicalareaswhereyoumightbeliving.Eph.2:10:WeareGod’sworkmanship,createdinChristJesustodogoodworksthatHehaspreparedinadvanceforustodo.

POWERFUL

RESUMES&

COVER LETTERSEasy Tips, Basic Templates, Sample Formats, and Real Examples That Get Job Interviews Like Magic

Quentin J. Schultze, Ph.D.Bethany Kim

C O L L E G E S T U D E N T

Foreword byRichard N. Bolles

How to Write

GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN

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Able **Accepting **AccommodatingAccomplished **AccurateActiveAdaptableAdeptAdventurousAgreeable **AlertAmbitiousAnalytical Approachable **AptArticulateArtisticAssertiveAttentiveBoldBright *Business-likeCalm **Candid **CapableCarefulCaring **Cheerful **Clear-thinkingCommittedCompassionate **CompetentCompetitiveComposedConfidentCongenialConscientious **

Considerate **Consistent **ConstructiveConvincing *Cooperative **Courageous *Courteous **CreativeCurious **DecisiveDedicatedDependable **Detail-orientedDeterminedDevoted **Dignified *Diligent DiplomaticDirectDiscerningDisciplinedDiscreteDistinguished *DutifulDynamic Eager **EarnestEasygoing **Educated *EffectiveEfficientEloquentEncouraging*EnergeticEnterprisingEnthusiasticEthical

ExactingExperienced **Expert *ExpressiveExtrovertedFair-mindedFaithful **FlexibleFocusedForcefulForthrightFrank **FriendlyFrugalGenerousGentle **Genuine *GivingGood **Good-naturedGraceful **GraciousGregariousHappy **HardworkingHealthy **Helpful **HonestHopeful **HospitableHumble *Humorous **InformedImaginativeIncisive *IndependentIndustrious

* Denotes words that may be perceived as boastful depending upon your skills and résumé content.

LIST OF POSITIVE TRAITS AS ADJECTIVES

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InnovativeInsightfulInspiring *Intellectual *Intelligent *IntuitiveInventiveInvestigativeKind **Knowledgeable Learned *Level-headedLively **LogicalLoving **Loyal **MatureMethodicalMeticulousModest *MotivatedObedient **ObjectiveObservantOptimisticOrderlyOrganizedOutgoing PatientPeace-loving**PerceptivePerseveringPersistentPersonablePersuasivePleasant **Poised

PolitePopular *PositivePracticalPreciseProactiveProductiveProfessionalProficientProfit-mindedProfit-orientedProgressiveProlificPromptPrudentPunctualPurposefulQualifiedQuick **Quick-thinkingRational **RealisticReflective **Reliable **ResilientResoluteResourcefulRespectfulResponsible Self-assuredSelf-awareSelf-confidentSelf-controlledSelf-motivatedSelf-reliantSelf-sufficientSensitive **

Sincere **SeriousSharp *SkillfulSmart *Sociable **Social **Steady **Successful **Success-orientedSupportive **Sympathetic **SystematicTactfulTalented *Team-orientedTenaciousThoroughThoughtfulTrusting **Trustworthy **Undaunted *Understanding **VersatileVigorousWarm **Well-educated *Well-organizedWell-trainedWell-versedWilling **Wise *

List of Positive Traits as AdjectivesA

pp

end

ix B

** Denotes words that tend to be too general/generic or too informal or that are overused on résumés.

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College Student Résumés

Do include major negative experiences in your Masterlist, but don’t dwell on them as you add more items to your list. Instead, add observations about how you dealt with those experiences at the time or subse-quently. What was the positive result of your negative experience?

Generally speaking, you shouldn’t include on a résumé anything that could be perceived as a negative comment about a former employee or a volunteer supervi-sor. Such negative comments suggest that

you’re blaming others for your own poor performance and that you might not yet be willing to accept your own weaknesses. Maybe even that you’re vindictive and unforgiving. In an interview, you might have to say something negative about a former employer. In that case, be as kind and charitable as possible. But don’t include any negative remarks on your résumé or in your cover letter.

Expand Your ExperiencesIdentifying meaningful life experiences can be frustrating until you get the hang of it. Here are some common categories to help you flesh out your Masterlist:

Major hobbies—individual and team sports, other outdoor activities, collecting, and entertainment

Paid employment—full-time and part-time jobs, including minimum-wage positions, summer work, short-term projects, temp agency fill-ins, and your own mini business selling goods or services to friends, family, or neighbors

Volunteer activities—helping at civic, religious, politi-cal, and other institutions, including leading tours, hosting events, writing or speaking, managing files, organizing people, responding to inquiries, or interacting with the public

Don’t forget to include on your Masterlist—and prob-ably on your résumé—tech-nology skills, such as use of computers, software, and other digital devices in conjunction with hobbies, schooling, or volunteering.Technology skills are highly demanded in many careers.

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Highlight Your Life Experiences

Travel—family vacations, personal trips, college-related sports trips or performance tours, treks on behalf of employers and volunteer groups

Cultural experiences—visits to other countries, college-sponsored tours or semester-abroad programs, spring break volunteer experiences in urban or rural areas, time spent living in different ethnic or racial areas, participation in exchange programs, and volunteer or paid jobs requiring interaction with a wide range of people

Formal learning—skills and knowledge gained from college and university courses, workshops, conferences, internships, educational summer camps, research and writing projects, co-op programs, group presentations, assisting professors or other college staff, or employee training programs occurring on or off campus

Informal learning—skills and knowledge achieved from your personal study and reflection, such as from reading books and magazines, searching online materials, viewing documentary or other educational films and videos, and teaching yourself computer hardware and software, including proprietary soft-ware written for and used by only one organization

Organizational participation—any active memberships or leadership activities and respon-sibilities in social, religious, civic, hobby, school, political, and other organizations

Family circumstances—helping to raise siblings, earning family support in addition to personal income, working extensively while attending school, caring for

Recall life experiences by picturing where you worked, volunteered, and pursued hobbies. We remember best when we rely on visual cues. If you have photos, use them to refresh your memories of people, places, and tasks.

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parents or grandparents, or taking on any other family-related responsibilities

Personal honors—things that others have said you do well, perhaps resulting in awards, honors, recognitions, admissions to groups or programs, honorary member-ships, affirming letters or e-mails, or media coverage

Spend an hour reviewing these catego-ries and listing whatever comes to mind in each one—don’t worry about eliminat-ing any experiences at this point. Be open to considering experiences other than those listed above, even those that don’t seem to fit into any of the categories or don’t obviously lend themselves to inclu-sion on a résumé. These might prove to be helpful later on for particular résumés or interviews.

Sample Masterlist Excerpts

Spent three weeks last summer traveling in Mexico, learning the transportation sys-tems, getting to know the locals, visiting museums, improving my conversational Spanish, becoming more independent, and getting acquainted with another culture

Taught 4th-grade Sunday school during my freshman and sophomore years, learning patience and the value of preparation

Served as a summer lifeguard at a country club, where I figured out how to work with demanding supervisors and befriended troubled kids, some of whom still e-mail me for advice.

If you’re currently in college or have recently (within the last two years) attended college (even if you didn’t graduate), review your academic transcript, previous course syllabi, and available college papers to recall special papers, projects, presentations, and courses worth including on your Masterlist.

Don’t limit your list to items that seem immediately applicable to your career choice. You might change your career goals. You might discover later that a given career requires different skills, knowledge, and traits than what you had assumed. At this stage, be comprehensive.

One or more of these items could be developed for and used on a specific résumé for a particu-lar internship, job, or even graduate school—such as, for example, in a social work program.

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Develop Your Entries The next step is to spend an hour reviewing and developing the items on your Masterlist. The basic question you want to ask yourself is what your life experience has taught you about the Big Three—your skills, knowledge, and traits. Chances are that you’ll initially find this activity a bit challenging. Most of us are so busy with day-to-day tasks that we don’t take the time to assess the value of our life experiences.

LIFE EXPERIENCE:

WHA

T, W

HEN

AND

WHY

SKIL

LSKN

OWLE

DGE

TRAI

TS

Masterlist Entries

Describe here what you did, when you did it, and why you did it.

Describe here what you learned to do.

Describe here what you learned about.

Describe here what you learned about yourself.

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As you develop the knowledge category in your Masterlist, try to think outside professional boxes. Bear in mind that your Masterlist is a tool for your personal preparation. You can’t predict when knowledge of particular people, organizations, and topics will serve you well—hobbies included. One of the biggest mistakes college students make is assuming that they know in advance precisely what’s needed for a par-ticular career. College courses don’t adequately prepare you for every-thing you’ll need to know on the job. They don’t even cover all of the necessary knowledge. Academic textbooks are like software owners’ manuals; they never cover everything a user needs to know, and even when they do explain the action steps for accomplishing something, it’s not always easy to follow through.

One of my students possessed an astounding degree of knowl-edge of classical and contemporary Hollywood movies. Nearly every night she watched an entire film, including the credits. She perused large movie guidebooks in the same way some people read novels or

Documenting Skills

Note that these entries especially capture social and learning skills. This “server” learned a lot that can be transferred to other lines of work—meeting others’ needs, collaborating with dif-ficult people in stressful situations, memorizing and retaining information, and training others.

EXPERIENCE

Server, Borst’s BBQ Restaurant, Atlanta, GA (Summer 20XX)Served corporate customers attentively during hectic lunch hours

Memorized a 90-item menu, including prices, dish ingredients,

for every item Trained nearly a dozen bussers on the job

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sports news. She could easily identify actors and actresses by their pho-tographs, recite the films in which they had appeared, and assess the quality of their performances. Her knowledge and memory of films amazed me.

Yet she was clueless about the value of her extensive movie knowl-edge for her résumé and in the job market. Eventually I directed her to the field of talent casting. Her movie-watching, actor-studying hobby became a marketable asset in commercial video production when she secured a position casting local and regional actors. Local produc-ers gave her role/character descriptions based upon producers’ knowl-edge of Hollywood performers: “I need a Jim Carey-like goofball who is facially expressive, vocally silly, and wildly uninhibited to do a com-mercial for a regional water park.” Casting a role like that was easy for her. Her knowledge and passion for movies had become a valuable commodity. Yet she didn’t recognize this until I pointed it out to her. She had assumed that her developing movie knowledge would never go beyond a hobby. How wrong she was.

Or suppose you’re a nerd of sorts. You’ve seen every episode of Stargate SG-1. You love playing Scrabble. You collect cookbooks. You write fan fiction online. Given all of these activities, what are your areas of knowledge? Science fiction? Language? Cooking? Used book buying? Take the time to examine your unique Masterlist to see what you can learn about yourself. This insight will help you later on to com-pose résumés for particular positions. Your past is a gateway to your future. So map out your past before charging ahead.

Know Your Personal TraitsAlong with identifying your skills and knowledge, you need to recog-nize your traits. Your traits are the ways you tend to behave—the styleof your work and play rather than its substance. For instance, how do you interact with coworkers? How would your former coworkers or classmates describe you? What are you like as a human being? If you’re not sure, it’s time to find out so you can shore up your strengths and address apparent weaknesses on your résumé.

Human traits can change over time, even though they partly reflect our inherited personalities. A shy person can learn to become

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someone else’s for a decade. These know-it-alls love doling out advice: You have to include references in your résumé; never, ever use a two-page résumé; if you were fired from your last job, just lie about it; always put your education first; never include hobbies on a résumé. These kinds of résumé-writing “rules” are like online urban legends that just never die. If only résumé writing were so “scientific”! What you really need in a résumé is flexibility within structure. The three résumé categories used in this book provide both. Below is a further description of what to include when you translate material from your Masterlist into relevant key words for your résumé. Always keep in mind the specific employer/audience. Don’t write to make yourself feel good. Write to demonstrate that you’ve got what it takes for a particu-lar field, fine-tuned to a specific position.

State Your Experience When most employers, supervisors, and human resource person-nel look at a résumé, they zero in on the person’s experience. So most résumé writers understandably use categories such as “work experi-ence” or “job experience.”

The problem is that few college students have enough specific, “official” (i.e., paid) work experience to adequately develop such nar-rowly focused categories. So they list part-time employment and per-haps some full-time employment for seemingly unrelated jobs—the last few paid positions they’ve held, whether flipping burgers, parking

cars, waiting on customers, retail clerking, or mowing lawns. To make matters worse, first-career seekers often fail to describe what they actually did in and learned from those jobs (the skills, knowledge, and traits they acquired). They just list the jobs, as though the jobs speak for themselves. The trouble is that job titles don’t stand on their own, so you need to briefly explain the work you did at the job. What you learned.

Keep two things in mind: (1) that “experience” is more than just paid work,

Look Beyond WorkNormally you should include internships, volunteer work, and summer jobs on your résumé. “Just because you didn’t get paid for something doesn’t mean it doesn’t count as real experience.”

Lindsey Pollak, Getting from College to Career

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Write for Your Audience

and (2) that documenting your skills, knowledge, and traits within each “experience” (e.g., each separate “job”) listed on your résumé is extremely important. The typical list of former jobs is never in itself adequate for a persuasive college résumé. That list is only a start, merely a part of your Masterlist. And it needs to be tweaked for each audience anyway. Be specific. Document what you learned that would likely be relevant to the organization and position you seek.

You can avoid the job-equals-experience trap by legitimately including a broader range of skills, knowledge, and traits under

“experience.” So as you review your Masterlist material, don’t limit

Paid Work Experiences

The word “proprietary” indicates that the software was specific to the organization, not a well-known, off-the-shelf product. If you’ve mastered such software, you’ve had to learn it from scratch. This requires more computer savvy than just using software you learned at home or in school.

Note that these paid experiences focus the résumé on relational and technological skills, the traits of caring and self-motivation, and technical knowledge.

EXPERIENCE

Sales Associate, Debbie’s Spoil-Your-Tots Shop, Washington, DC

(9/XX–5/XX)Specialized in explaining and demonstrating the practical and safety features of dozens of child car seat productsRecognized as part-time employee of the month Trained my replacement and provided ongoing support after leav-ing positionMastered proprietary database inventory and ordering system

Counselor, Camp Kladder, Tollsma, MI (summer 20XX)

computing, and digital photography

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for two days at jobs before realizing that they were not what I had expected and that I was the wrong person for them. One of them was working on a city garbage truck; my back couldn’t take the lifting of heavy trash into the truck. The other was a union apprenticeship in a narrow electronics field that didn’t have enough intellectual stimula-tion to keep me interested in the tasks.

In both cases the employers understood why I was leaving, and I didn’t accept any wages. If I had been filling out a comprehensive job application shortly after those experiences, I might have been obligated to include the experiences, although not having been compensated for the work suggests that I was not employed. If I had worked for weeks with compensation, however, I definitely would have been obligated to include those experiences on an application and résumé as long as the position was relatively recent (say, sometime within the last two to three years). Obviously these are ethical judgments, and there are no hard-and-fast rules about including short-term work on résumés.

If you were on a job longer than a few months, and your reason for leaving was not so noble—such as being fired—include the job on your résumé and be prepared to answer questions about why you left and what you learned from the experience. If you can explain briefly why you were let go and what you’ve learned as a result, you might want to include that explanation on your résumé. Also, chances are that you made positive contributions to the organization even though you were eventually terminated. Be sure to focus on your positive contributions, not just on self-improvements you made after you were fired.

Sometimes people are terminated for refusing to do things that conflict with their consciences. Or because they have allowed them-selves to become overextended and are unable to satisfactorily juggle all of their responsibilities. Or because, as an employee, they resisted new organizational policies, work hours, or job duties. Or because of extended illness. Or because of personality conflicts with cowork-ers or supervisors. The reasons are varied and frequently mixed, if not complicated. Employers know this. They’re not expecting perfec-tion. Employers look favorably on applicants who know their weak-nesses as well as their strengths and who are mature enough to address their weaknesses while leveraging their strengths. Just consider the

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euphemistic, nuanced language used to describe terminations: canned, dumped, dismissed, ousted, shown the door, downsized, recycled, eliminated, jettisoned, given the heave-ho, laid off, let go, not reap-pointed, and on and on. Each word or phrase suggests particular con-notations. Terminations are rarely simple. Sometimes employers and employees perceive the same facts very differently.

It’s better to include a previous termination on your résumé rather than to have the subject come up unexpectedly at an inoppor-tune time (like in the middle of an interview) and ruin your chances of securing the job. Some employers conduct pre-interview reference checks, online name searches, and legal due diligence. Of course the

Intern and Volunteer Experiences

Note that the above experiences focus the résumé on skills and knowledge in visual arts, along with the relational traits.

EXPERIENCE

Worship Committee Member, Hicks Community Church

(9/XX–5/XX)Presented monthly youth group plans to the music committee

youth-engaging, visually vibrant worship services

Marketing Intern, Dekker Vocational College (spring 20XX)

Freelance Designer (summer 20XX)Assisted graphic designer by securing and reviewing 6 competitive quotes for printing single-color and full-color brochuresWrote copy for and proofread two recruiting brochures distributed to high schools

Camp Counselor, Camp Burley Bum-Bum (summer 20XX)Co-counseled and provided 24-hour care for 20 campers, ages 7–16

photography

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just by shifting a few entries from one or more of the other categories to a new one.

The two most impressive additional categories today involve tech-nology and culture (especially languages and cross-cultural experience). These two areas open many doors for career seekers in the increasingly global, high-tech economy. If you have more than one or two items for these categories, it makes sense to highlight technology and culture separately.

The best section titles for technology are “Technology,” “Comput-ers,” “Technological Experience,” or “Technological Skills.” In any case, if your abilities with new forms of communication, information, data-bases, computerized design, or other computer technologies are consid-erably above average, you probably should highlight them in a special category. You can determine whether your skills are significant based in part on the frequency of help requested of you by friends, family, and co-hobbyists. You might also demonstrate a technical aptitude by learn-ing technological skills quickly on the job and helping coworkers to learn them as well. Self-taught skills show that you are self-motivated, a fast learner, and passionate about mastering such skills.

Common Additional Category—Technology

TECHNOLOGY

Experienced at setting up, using, and troubleshooting

Knowledge of Mac and Windows OSCompetent with Visual Basic

Note that the items listed above are standardized to begin with adjectives and nouns—not verbs.

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Yet another kind of technology-related skill is knowing how to use technologies appropriately in relationships with coworkers, clients, and customers. For instance, protecting the privacy of sensitive data in health care, human resources, and legal situations involves both ethi-cal and legal knowledge. Similarly important is determining when to use a technology like e-mail to communicate with others and when it is preferable to interact in person. Employees’ use of corporate technol-ogies for personal business is a matter of good judgment, not just com-pany policies.

A résumé category labeled “Multicultural Experience” or “Cross-cultural Experience” can be similarly impressive in multicultural communities and a world economy. Add such a category if you have extensive experience living in other cultures and speaking a second language, including sign language. Be sure to document when and where you lived in another culture, the extent of your ability to speak

Cross-Cultural Experiences

Note that all of the items listed above begin with verbs. The question of using verbs or nouns/adjectives to begin bullet points in resumes in discussed in the next chapter.

CROSS-CULTURAL EXPERIENCELived for 3 months in Spain with a native family (sum-mer 20XX)Traveled in Latin America during 2 college spring

Resided in Spanish language-only college housing,

Wrote 2 research essays in Spanish about Latin-American current affairsLearned everyday conversational and advanced writ-ten SpanishServed in U.S. military in Panama for 18 months before entering college

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expression “let go” is better than “fired,” since the former can mean anything from being replaced by the boss’s kid to being the victim of organizational downsiz-ing during tough economic times. The phrase “laid off” usually implies that the position itself was eliminated, that no one was going to be hired as a replacement. In some industries and professions, the majority of workers have been laid off at some point during their careers.

Summarize Your EducationIn most cases, the importance of your education for composing a résumé isn’t simply the degree you earned but what you learned along the way. Even for professional degrees in high-demand fields, such as accounting and engineering, broadening the educational section of your résumé is essential for highlighting a wider range of skills, knowl-edge, and traits than those merely suggested by the degree itself.

If you graduated from a college or university within the last two years, round out your educational experiences with special aspects of your college activities, not with routine academic requirements, expected courses, and predictable projects. For instance, the fact that a college biology major completed a list of standard biology courses is both common sense and a waste of résumé space. If the same biology major interned for a summer in a biological context, paid or unpaid, the special work should be included under “Education.” Similarly, a biology course research paper that received a strong evaluation from a professional should be included on a science-focused résumé unless the job seeker has more significant, job-related experience.

If you’re an upcoming or very recent college graduate, you’ll prob-ably need to fall back on some school-related experiences for your résumé. Go back to your Masterlist and strengthen your list of school activities. Jog your memory with a copy of your college grade tran-script, textbooks, and any course files or notebooks. The following questions will help you expand your college-related Masterlist mate-

Don’t put “Education” before “Experience” in your résumé

unless you are using the résumé for an academic purpose, such as a graduate school application. Why? Because an education-first résumé screams out:

“MERE STUDENT!”

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rial and produce an impressive résumé that goes beyond “education as usual.”

Special Features of Your SchoolWhat are your college or university’s dis-tinct mission and purpose? How are they translated into your education? For instance, does the school emphasize any of the following?

Service learning (academic “credit” for volunteer work)Character formationBroad-based liberal arts education (“general education” courses and experiences in addition to special-ized courses in your major)Leadership training courses, activities, or positions (on or off campus)Extensive, across-the-curriculum writing or speaking experienceCross-cultural experiences (urban, rural, or international)Environmental awareness/learning Research opportunities with pro-fessors or other staff membersTechnology skills, including spe-cial hardware or software incorpo-rated in class work The study of other languages/cul-tures (particularly through off-campus travel and programs)Interesting special-term courses (e.g., January terms; May terms;

Generally speaking, even if you are a recent college graduate, don’t include your cumulative grade point aver-age (GPA) on your résumé unless it’s spectacular, such as a 3.7 or 3.8 average on a 4.0-point scale. Few employers really care about your GPA unless it reflects a stellar academic career or if you graduated recently and lack other job-performance data. In the latter case, if you don’t include a GPA on your résumé you’ll probably be asked about it at the first interview, just to make sure you weren’t a substandard student.

Grade inflation has turned nearly all students into

“better-than-average” achiev-ers. High school GPAs are even less meaningful than those from college, and graduate school GPAs are rarely cited.

A graduate degree is more important than the GPA you earned. Attending college or graduate school is a plus on a résumé, even if you never completed your degree. Indicate when and where you attended and what you studied.

Nevertheless, if your GPA in your academic major was exceptional, you can include that instead of a weaker cumulative GPA. Most college transcripts indicate both cumulative and academic-major GPAs.

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summer sessions; and other short, intensive terms between semesters or quarters)Extracurricular requirementsSports participation (extracurricular or collegiate)Residential life leadership (in dorms, private living arrange-ments, sororities or fraternities, etc.)

If you’re not sure about your school’s distinctive features, check out its website and course catalog. Examine the school’s mission statement. How does it describe the school’s emphases? Also examine the web-site for your own major or department within the school. What are the department’s particular foci, goals, and features? This kind of school-related research is particularly important if your college is not well known or if you’ll be applying for positions in a region distant from where your school is located. Be prepared to include on your résumé any distinctives of the school or department that may be relevant to specific jobs.

Suppose you earned an education degree from a medium-sized, Midwestern liberal arts college that emphasizes “social engagement.” Chances are that some of the schools to which you would apply for teaching jobs will have a similar focus. When that’s the case, highlight

your college experience in those résumés. You would still mention the school’s

focus in your other résumés, but you wouldn’t concentrate on the theme of social engagement. Even if your school doesn’t have a carefully integrated edu-cational curriculum, you might be sur-prised to discover that administrators and faculty use a range of specific expe-riences to create a particular educational approach. Schools offer general-educa-tion courses, residential requirements, cross-cultural experiences, internships, co-op programs, campus lectures, arts events, and many more activities to dis-

Emphasize “Education” for School-Based Jobs

“If you are applying for academic jobs such as college library positions, list your ‘education’ information before other categories and experience.”

Rachel Applegate, “Résumés and Cover Letters (For Library Employ-ment),” Indiana Libraries

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tinguish themselves from other colleges. So determine how your school’s educa-tional and extracurricular offerings can help you demonstrate your value to partic-ular employers.

Uncommon Educational Opportunities or AccomplishmentsWhat did you study, learn, and experience that will distinguish you from other stu-dents at your school or in your major? For example, did you do any of the following?

Finish any special-topic, non-required coursesComplete a second major or minor program Undertake an independent study with a teacherAttend special seminars, presentations, or conferencesSpend a term off campus, perhaps in a different cultural or urban settingConduct research for a professor (if the professor acted as a supervisor, you should include his or her name in your résumé)

Course-Related AccomplishmentsWhat did you do within specific courses that is particularly notable or at least illustrates your skills, knowledge, or traits? Consider such course-related activities as these:

Time-intensive or complex course projectsSpeeches, individual presentations, or productionsResearch papers or studiesGroup work, group presentations, or other collaborative learningExtensive reviews of any books, articles, or online sourcesTheses, performances, or productions

Highlight College Research Projects

“If you’ve been involved in un-dergraduate research, briefly describe that research in your résumé. It documents that you learned more than most students about a subject.”

Stephen Jones, “How to Create a Winning Résumé,” The Black Collegian

166

Summary Statement Worksheet

SKILLS KNOWLEDGE TRAITS

KEYWORDS FOR THE JOB OR POSITION YOU SEEK:

SUMMARY STATEMENT:

167

LIST OF ACTION VERBSA

pp

end

ix DAccomplishing VerbsAccepted **Achieved *Acquainted *Acquired *AddressedAnswered **AppliedApprisedAssembledAssuredAttained **Attended **AuditedAwardedBalancedBrainstormedCapturedCertifiedClosedCommunicated *CompiledCompletedConcentratedConvertedCritiquedDefinedDeliveredDemonstrated *DetectedDeterminedDiscovered **Dissuaded

DistributedEarnedEnabledEnsuredExecutedExhibited **Experienced **FacilitatedFinished **FocusedFosteredFoundedFunctioned **GainedGave **Handled **HonoredInfluencedInspectedInstalledInterpretedJustifiedLearned *Located **LoggedMaintainedMarketedMasteredMerchandisedMonitoredMotivated **ObservedObtained **Opened

OperatedOrderedPackaged Performed **PinpointedPlayedPreparedPresentedProcessed **ProjectedProposedProvided **PurchasedRaisedReachedRealized **ReceivedRecommendedRecordedReferredRepairedRepliedRepresentedResolvedRespondedRoutedSavedScheduledScreenedSecuredSelected **SentServedSold

* Denotes words often over-used on résumés.

** Denotes words that are informal, weak, or generic.

168

List of Action Verbs

TranslatedTransportedTraveled *TreatedValidatedVisited Worked *

Assisting VerbsAdvised **AidedArbitratedAssisted **Cared **CollaboratedConsultedContributedCoordinated *CounseledEncouraged **GreetedGuided **Helped HostedInteracted *Interfaced **LiaisedMediatedModeratedOfferedParticipated *PartneredProtectedServed *

Supported *UpheldVolunteered **Welcomed **

Creating VerbsArticulatedAssembledAuthoredBuilt **ChartedComposed *ConceivedConstructed Created *Designed Developed *DevisedDuplicatedFabricatedFashionedFormedFormulated **FoundedGeneratedInitiatedInnovatedInspiredIntroduced **InventedLaunchedOriginatedPioneeredPlanned *

ProducedShapedStarted *

Improving VerbsAdapted **EliminatedFormalizedImproved *ModernizedModifiedReconciledReconstructedRectifiedReduced *Remodeled ReshapedResolvedRestoredRevampedRevised **RevitalizedRevolutionizedSolved **StimulatedStreamlinedSupplementedTailoredUpdatedUpgraded

Increasing VerbsAmplifiedAugmented

* Denotes words often over-used on résumés.

** Denotes words that are informal, weak, or generic.

169

List of Action VerbsA

pp

end

ix DBroadenedEnlargedExpanded *ExpeditedIncreasedStrengthened

Managing VerbsActedAdministeredAllocatedAppropriatedApproved **AssignedAuthorizedAwardedBudgetedChairedConducted *ControlledCounseledDelegatedDirectedDispensed **Distributed **EmpoweredEnactedEnforcedEnsuredEstablishedExecutedFacilitatedForecastedGoverned

GuidedHeadedHiredIdentified **ImplementedInstalledInstitutedInterviewedJudgedLedManaged *MarketedNominatedPlanned *PrescribedPresidedPromotedRecruitedSponsoredSupervised *

Organizing VerbsArchivedArranged **AssembledCataloguedCentralizedClassifiedCompiledConsolidatedCoordinated *Filed *Grouped **Incorporated

IntegratedOrganized **PrioritizedReorganizedRestructuredSummarizedSystematized

Researching VerbsAnalyzedAssessed *CalculatedCollectedCompared **CompiledComputedConductedContrastedDiagnosedEvaluatedExaminedExperimentedExplored **ExtractedGatheredIdentified *IsolatedInterviewedInvestigatedMeasured **ObservedResearchedReviewed *Sampled

20


ics, relationships, jobs, finances, and every-thing else that can turn their college expe-riences into a rat race.

Also, colleges don’t do a very good job of teaching students basic life-organization skills. College students end up working on the next assignment due rather than orga-nizing and scheduling their work for maxi-mum efficiency and effectiveness.

The same thing happens with résumés. As you probably already know firsthand, students tend to compose résumés and cover letters at the last minute. This leads to poorly written and even error-riddled material that creates a poor impression. Moreover, last-minute résumé writing

never maximizes the value of academic and life experience. It leads to copycat résumés and cover letters that might be visually attractive but lack persuasive power.

This book provides a simple but powerful process for writing your own interview-generating résumés and cover letters. If you follow this process you’ll be successful.

On the following page is a basic flow chart for the process I will develop throughout the rest of the book. I’ve included it as appendix I as well. Appendix H is a “Résumé Checklist” that you can use to make sure you’ve addressed every step in the flow chart.

This straightforward organizational process outlines specific action steps along the way. The chapters that follow are filled with con-crete examples, check lists, and sample résumé excerpts. Take heart. But also do what I say. Work at it. Steadily. Committedly. Step by step. Stay organized.

The job-search process can become one of the most challenging aspects of your life. Sure, paying bills, watching friends leave town, getting married or divorced, and caring for children or parents can all be enormously stressful. But in one sense, nothing else compares to job hunting. Why? Because without income we will lack the resources

Ask How Your Ré-sumé Compares

“It pays to ask a career counselor, professor, or other professional to review your résumé before circulating it. Ask them, ‘How does mine compare with those of other students you’ve worked with? Be brutally honest with me—will it compete with the best?’”

Peter Vogt, Career Wisdom for College Students

21

Naked Truths

Check your attitude

Create your Masterlist

Identify your skills, knowledge, and traits

Organize your content

Format your entries

Write your summary

Edit résumé entries

Recruit your references

Draft a cover letter

Determinecareer-specific

language

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

Step 4

Step 5

Step 6

Step 7

Step 8

Step 9

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Campus Leadership PositionsUsually the best place to list high-responsibility campus leadership activities on a résumé is under “Education.” But in a few cases you can include campus leader-ship under “Experience.” For instance, if you were a resident adviser in a dormitory, an elected official for a campus organiza-tion, or served on the staff of the campus yearbook or newspaper, you could include those activities as “Experience” rather than just “Education” (academic study), depend-ing upon the extent and value of the work for a specific résumé.

Keep in mind the ultimate test for any official positions or titles you have held: If you didn’t do anything in the position (e.g., if it was merely a title without any respon-

sibilities or accomplishments), or if what you accomplished doesn’t seem worth sharing with others, you probably shouldn’t list it—except possibly in the “Activities” category. One exception is honorary titles you received as acknowledgements of your efforts or accomplishments.

What if you never graduated or are still in school, perhaps pursu-ing a degree part-time or taking a semester or two off to earn addi-tional money to pay for more education? First, ask yourself whether you really intend to complete your college education, and, if so, when this is realistically likely to happen. Indicate on your résumé your expected date of completion [e.g., B.A. in Philosophy, Arizona Col-lege, Green, AZ (Expected May 20XX)]. This is both honest and helpful to employers. If you recently completed some college courses but don’t plan to continue your education in the near future, follow the same guidelines as for graduates, highlighting your education under a sepa-rate category.

If you took college courses more than five years ago and never graduated, summarize your work in a brief “Education” category at the end of your résumé. After all, you still benefit from the education you

Include Relevant Personal Interests

“Although employers value work-related skills, some students—particularly those with limited experience—may draw upon personal interests, hobbies, and family life to identify relevant skills. The key is to demonstrate how the skills are transfer-able to the potential job situation.”

Karl L. Smart, “Articulating Skills in the Job Search,” Business Com-munication Quarterly

93


have received. Today some students discontinue college simply because of cost. Also, don’t assume that you’ll never complete your degree. For one thing, some of the new online and local degree-completion pro-grams accept older college credits and life experience toward their degree requirements. For another, college dropouts often re-enroll when they discover that their employer will pay for them to complete their education. Or because their spouses are employed by a college that pays for a spouse’s tuition. You never know!

List Your ActivitiesThis last category is an opportunity for you to include materials rel-evant to a specific audience that don’t fit under either of the first two categories (“Experience” and “Education”). This is a flexible and important third topic for career seekers, one that will enable you to include just about anything that documents your skills, knowledge, and traits relative to a particular résumé for a specific audience.

Personalized Education Experiences

Note that these kinds of personalized experiences convey a well-rounded education and express traits such as self-initiative, commitment, and an entrepreneurial spirit.

EDUCATION

B.S. in Computer Science, Jager University, Downer, IL (May

20XX)

requirementsCollaborated with small group to design award-winning senior projectConducted usability study for class project on designing cell phone technologies for busy travelersEarned service-learning credit for setting up multi-platform computer

Documents

What You Can Do in Your Senior Year to Guarantee Job ... › employment-management-services › ... · What You Can Do in Your Senior Year to Guarantee Job Interviews Quentin J. Schultze